ThE MuStAnG MeSsEnGeR

October 8th is the date scheduled for Student Success Meetings. We will have a much different look to the meetings this year and we are aiming for 100% attendance. One of the biggest changes is that we will host these meetings from 12:30 pm to 8:30 pm on the 8th. We posted a Sign-Up Genius so that you can reserve a time to visit with your child’s Seminar teacher. Your child, under the direction of their Seminar teacher, will guide you through their current grades, missing assignments, state assessment scores from last year, any Fastbridge Data and their possible career options based on Xello! These sessions are scheduled for 20 minutes and whatever time is remaining can be used to visit with their classroom teachers or, at the very least, set up a time to meet with that teacher one-on-one. We will continue to send out messages about this very important date via Thrillshare and our weekly Mustang Messenger! The students will be dismissed at 11:50 am (We will serve breakfast but NO Lunch will be served) and the meetings will start at 12:30 pm. We hope to see you there and visiting with you about the school year!

Homecoming 2025 will be wrapped up by the time this article is posted. The staff and students had a great time dressing up each day of the week to the daily theme! We have posted some pictures in this weeks Mustang Messenger to show you how much fun the students were having! The week was jam packed with activities! On Monday we hosted Riley County in a “C” Team Volleyball match and our junior high program travelled to St. Peter’s and Paul in Seneca for a triangular in Seneca. On Tuesday night our Lady Mustangs travelled to Hanover for a match-up that included us, Hanover and Centralia – all teams that are currently ranked in state. The Lady Mustangs beat Centralia in two and Hanover in three to claim the wins and also earned the title of 2025 TVL Regular Season Champions! Congratulations to the squad and Coach Steinfort, Coach Miller and Coach Spoonts. Wednesday night was filled with Homecoming activities. Our FCA Chapter sponsored a hot dog supper and a short program to start our night. This was followed by Spikefest and the Powderpuff Football game. If you are wondering – think boys playing volleyball and girls playing football! After all that excitement the Homecoming Bonfire and Pep Rally was held on the west side of our building. It was a long night, with plenty of action and fun, and was enjoyed by everyone! Thursday night your junior programs will be in action at Valley Heights as we host Washington County. On Friday, we will host the annual Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally followed by the game against the Bennington Bulldogs, crowning ceremonies at halftime and the dance following the game! Good luck to our candidates!

The TVL Volleyball Tournament is Saturday, October 11th and hosted by Onaga. Start time is 9:00 am. Seeding will not be completed until October 8th. We will keep you posted about who we play and at what time via Thillshare. As always, there are some very good teams in the TVL this year so the matches will be exciting. Come on out and cheer on our Mustangs!

Some important dates when classes will not be in session! October 10 – PT Day and October 13 – Professional Development!!

Go Mustangs!

Mr. Savage

Back Row: L to R-Lawson Stryker, Creighton Smith, Brady DeWalt

Front Row: L to R-Mia Vermetten, Ella Swearingen, Krista Porter

Welding students built a new base for the school blackstone!

And the officer team took animals over to Waterville grade school to talk to the Kindergarten classes about how they cared for their animals after the kindergarteners learned about their animal care unit!

The Valley Heights Mustangs are the 2025 TVL regular season champions. The Mustangs improved to 10-0 in league play after defeating Hanover and Centralia in a triangular on Tuesday night, completing a clean sweep of the Twin Valley League. The Mustangs are now 20-6 on the year under HC Susan Steinfort. #sportsinkansas

Monday afternoons, starting at 3:30pm

Tuesday mornings, starting at 7:00am

Wednesday morning at 7am and after school at 3:30pm

September 29, 2025

PSALM 46:6. Krista Anne Porter was born on November 9, 2007 to Nicole and Bryce Porter. She was raised in Waterville, Kansas with her older sister Brooke. Krista has been involved in many activities throughout her high school career: FCA, Volleyball, Cheer, and Track 4 years; FFA and Scholars Bowl 3 years; KAY, NHS, StuCo, FACS, Mustang Tough/Mentor, Dance, and Softball 2 years; and Band and Basketball 1 year. She has had many leadership roles within these activities including Class President and Vice President, NHS President, KAY StuCo representative, Cheer Captain, and Volleyball Captain for one year each. Some non-school activities she is involved in are 4-H and helping at the Waterville United Methodist Church.

Krista’s favorite bible verse is Psalm 46:5, which is, “God is within her, she will not fall.” Porter shared that it is her favorite bible verse because, “it keeps me going even through the hard times. It makes me stop and remember that I have His strength and can do anything through Him.” Three of Krista’s favorite things are, the songs “Wonder” by Megan Moroney, “Party Monster” by The Weeknd, and Mexican food. One memory she will never forget is when Khloe Gunn and her put Violet Slifer into a crotch stand at TVL Basketball in Frankfort her junior year and Violet fell straight backwards with her feet in the air and the whole crowd laughed. Krista's ideal Friday night is Friday Night Lights and the square after. Any other time it is hanging out with her friends and driving around, and especially going to Walmart with Bella. One thing people may not know about her is she has celiac disease and she is allergic to cats.

After high school, Krista plans on attending Kansas State University to major in Animal Science, and hopes to get her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. In 10 years, she sees herself with a husband and kids living on a nice property with a big house and owning a business.

One person that has impacted Krista’s life is her mom, Nicole, “She has taught me how to be a great leader and to always do the right thing. She has kept me involved in things and helped shape me to who I am today. I always look up to her in everything she does.” Some advice Krista would give to the underclassmen is to participate in all the school events and activities you can because it makes high school so much more fun and interesting. It also helps you make more friends and socialize.

When Krista leaves Valley Heights, she wants to be remembered as someone who was a kind and positive person who was always putting in the work to be the best she could be and for helping her community.

Article by Isabella Smith

Kansas Apply Free Days are approaching. This year they will be October 6, 7, and 8th. This is a chance for students to apply to schools in Kansas with $0 application fee. Attached is the link to see which schools offer no application fee all year long, along where how to apply to schools.

This week our staff spotlight shines on Ms. Carrie Husband. Ms. Husband is in charge of our Agriculture classes and our ever growing FFA program. Ms. Husband also fills the roles of CTE (Career and Technical Education) Coordinator and our 9th grade sponsor.

Ms. Husband is a native of Tonganoxie, KS and is currently in her 3rd year here at Valley Heights. Ms. Husband earned her BS from Kansas State University in Agricultural Education and Global Food Systems. (She also inserted “Go Cats!” on her bio sheet!) She is currently working on her Master’s Degree at Pitt. State in Career and Technical Education.

Ms. Husband’s favorite thing about working at Valley Heights are the awesome kids who love agriculture and have a strong work ethic and drive. She also loves our sassy and playful staff! Her hobbies include going to the lake, riding/driving in a side-by-side, being in the sun, reading and sometimes crafty things.

Ms. Husband shares that something very few people know about her is that she has moved 20 times!

Thank you Ms. Husband for being a valued member of the Mustang Family!

Jim Ruby 91, loves to stay active. He was in track in high school, worked construction and worked at the VA park in Leavenworth. He exercises every day, he enjoys being outdoors. He started competing in marathons when he was 75 and has participated in the Camp Leavenworth 5k for the past 3 years. He is the oldest competitor.

This is our FACS teacher, Jennifer Pacha's Grandpa!!!!

Blue Rapids, KS 66411

785-363-2508

Principal-Mike Savage

Athletic Director-Jordan Broxterman

1. Come to the HS office between 8am and 4pm

2. Email msavage@valleyheights.org

3. Call the office (785)363-2508

Email: vhhs@valleyheights.org
Website: valleyheights.org
Phone: (785)363-2508
Facebook: facebook.com/vhusd498
Twitter: @usd498